Shame on America Magazine (and all of us really..)

Sorry, not gonna sing the praises of this latest article...

I am a reader of America magazine, the national Catholic weekly put out by the Jesuits. I appreciate the international perspective, as well as many of the stories. As long as I overlook some of the subtle (and not so subtle) jabs at hierarchy, I find it an interesting read, even though I don’t always agree with the angles the writers take.

This week America came out with an online article about me. Well, not really about me, but about all women who are joining religious orders around the country. The article was based on an analysis of the CARA study, conducted in 2009, of religious vocations in the US.

The results of the study have been used by many on both sides of the divide within the Church. The “progressive” side argues that the study’s results are given the wrong twist. The “traditional” side practically sings and does touch down dances because it looks like the younger generations actually do value such archaic things as habits and hierarchy.

America magazine added their voice to this already delightful chorus with their summary of the article which was posted on their blog:

“Overall, of all the women entering religious orders these days, roughly half choose progressive groups, and roughly half choose traditional groups.”

When I read this sentence I felt indignant. As I made my way to chapel yesterday for evening prayer my indignation grew and I spent some time thinking about why I felt this way.

In the end, I realized that not only was this a misrepresentation of the data, but it leads people to somehow believe that women who are discerning are aware of this ugly, political underbelly of Catholic life and are joining congregations that are part of the LCWR because they are throwing their lot in with the “progressives” of the Church, or vice versa. Hence, the inferred conclusion of America’s assessment of the situation: Women joining religious orders are divided just like the faithful within Church, (and the citizens of the US).

If you read the study, it shows that men and women join religious orders primarily because of the spiritual life. 91% considered this “Somewhat” or “Very Important.” In other words, people join orders because they are attracted to the charism and special spirituality of that order within the Church. This is the Holy Spirit at work. Finding a congregation is like finding a spouse. Or, perhaps more appropriately, a family, (and like all families there is some dysfunction no matter where you go). 

Finally, perhaps the most relevant finding of the study to the America magazine article: 70% of respondents either answered that they were “Somewhat” or “Very Much” attracted to their institute because of fidelity to the Church. It is interesting to note, that women who consider fidelity to the Church to be important, but have joined an institute in which this is an issue, would not have answered “Somewhat” or “Very Important” because they would have joined despite the institute’s issues with fidelity.

If we look at this statistic generationally, it is even more startling. 68% of the youngest generation joining religious life, the Millenials, answered that fidelity to the Church was “Very Much” important. This number does not include the “Somewhat” respondents and again, this does not include men and women who may have joined orders despite issues of fidelity.

This is not exactly the reality that the America article suggests.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not doing a touch down dance and saying, “I told you so.” I'm not joining that chorus of voices. I, along with many of these young men and women, do not value fidelity to the Church because we are crusty traditionalists who like to engage in war with progressives.We care about social justice, and so-called progressive issues, but we also care about the Church. We value the authority of the Church because we live in a time of relativism. We see, consciously or unconsciously, that authority and hierarchy are needed gifts of God to the Church. We have seen the scandals in the Church, but we also see the difference between God-given authority and human fallibility.

Our ability to see these things is not political, it is inspired.

If America magazine, and others, do not want to recognize this reality in some of the most committed younger generations of the Church, that is their choice. 

But to both the "right" and the "left" in this seriously off-pitch chorus of voices:

Please leave the good men and women joining religious congregations out of this political bickering and not so subtle jabs at other “sides” within the Church. We love Jesus, we love the Church and we love all of you. But we do not love this bickering.

Here’s to hoping new generations of Catholics will be able to see the need to move beyond this tiresome division that must sadden Jesus so much.